


HMS Books and Dragon

by Pixie_Rose



Series: A Fleet of Dates [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bookstores, Coffee date, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, Draco in a muggle book store, Draco is good, F/M, Fluff, Hermione is forgiving, Muggle Culture, Post War, not an au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 06:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13898124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixie_Rose/pseuds/Pixie_Rose
Summary: Hermione bumps into and old school friend, well they weren't friends in school more like enemies, in her favourite Muggle bookshop. They end up going to a cafe, it's not a date, but it sure as heck feels like one.





	HMS Books and Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters they belong to J. K. Rowling

Nothing would ever beat a muggle bookshop for Hermione; the atmosphere, the smell, the feel of the books in her hands. The stories themselves. She was in her favourite book store, a local one that wasn’t frequented by many, and especially not the screaming school children like the more popular ones. She was hunting for something in particular today. She’d misplaced her copy of Peter Pan, and was in need of a replacement. She was dawdling around the shop, running her hands along the books on the shelves whilst she looked. She had waved away the shop assistant’s help an hour ago. She knew she was stalling, and she knew that she would walk out of this shop with more books than the one she was in here for. 

 

She suddenly looked around and stopped in her tracks. She saw a head of white-blonde hair, a familiar head of white-blonde hair. No, she thought, that cannot be him. She shook her head to clear it, what would Draco Malfoy be doing in a book store, and a muggle book store at that? She took a few steps nearer to the guy and cleared her throat. “Draco, is that you?” She still couldn't be sure, she couldn't see his face clearly enough. 

 

He looked up, and as Hermione saw those grey eyes, that she had always wanted to stare dreamily into, resting on her over the top of the book clutched in his hands, she knew for certain that it was, in fact, Draco. Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach knotted up all of a sudden. 

“Hello, Granger.” He smiled. Hermione noticed the dimple in his left cheek as his smile widened across his face. “Long time no see.” 

This floored her. This wasn't the Draco she remembered, the Draco that used to look through her unless he was sending a snide comment her way. She had heard he had changed, but she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't. Well, not until now, when it was clear as day that he had. The old Draco would never have set foot into a shop like this, wizard or muggle alike, and he definitely wouldn't have spoken to her like that. 

 

“It's not been so long that you've forgotten who I am, has it?” He prompted, as she still didn't say anything. 

“No,” Hermione answered, feeling the blush spread across her cheekbones and wishing her hair was down, so she could somewhat hide it. “You just took me by surprise.” 

“You spoke to me first, though.” He looked confused, which made him look even cuter. 

“Yeah,” Hermione nodded. “I wasn't totally sure it was you.”

“Well, it is.” He said. His eyes roamed the store. “This is a nice place.” 

“Yeah, it's like my third home.” She said, repeating the joke that she heard Harry and the others say all too often. 

“Are you in here that often then?” 

“Yeah,” Hermione nods. “Are you looking for anything in particular?” 

“Not really.” Draco shrugged. “Just browsing.” He suddenly looked Hermione directly in the eye. “Is there any book you'd recommend to me?” 

Hermione tried to wrack her brains. She had read many books, but she wasn't too used to recommending books to others. “Uh,” she stumbled. “What sort of book are you looking for? Romance? Adventure? Classics? Science Fiction? Horror?” 

“Anything,” Draco said. 

“How about classics then? You can never go wrong starting with classics.” She said, heading towards her favourite section of the store — the one that she was heading towards herself, anyway. “Especially not if they were originally written for children.” She stopped and turned around to glare at Draco when she heard him scoff. “There is nothing wrong with reading them as adults!” 

“If you say so,” Draco said. Clearly not convinced. 

Hermione headed towards the section she wanted. She picked up a copy of Peter Pan off the shelf and tucked that under her arm. Then she moved a few steps further and plucked a copy of Magician’s Nephew — the first instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia. “Start with this.” She handed the book to Draco, “It is the first in a series of seven. They are pretty good books, fantasy, and you may like them.” 

“Thank you,” Draco said, taking the book from her hand. She felt a knot tighten in her belly as his fingers brushed hers before he turned to walk away. 

“Are you busy?” She blurted out, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.  Where in Merlin’s name had that come from?

Draco stopped and slowly turned around. “No,” he drawled, the smile back on his face. “Why?”

“I was-” Hermione stammered. Was she really going to suggest this? “Maybe we could go grab a coffee or something…” She looked Draco dead in the face, showing she was serious, even though she was thinking it was a stupid idea. 

“I’d like that.” He said, and Hermione let out her breath in a rush. 

They headed to the counter, Draco first, then Hermione, paying for the books in their hands. As they turned to leave Draco slipped his arm through Hermione’s. “Anywhere in particular you fancy getting coffee?” He asked, and looking at his watch he added, “Or we could change it to lunch, if you want?” 

“We could do.” Hermione agreed. “Though it is a little early for lunch for me.”

“Okay. Anywhere you want to go?” He asked again.

“There is a nice little cafe down the street.” Hermione suggested. She was planning on heading there after she’d finished in the book store, anyway, it was her favourite cafe around here. 

“Lead the way then.” Draco smiled. That cute dimple making Hermione’s heart melt again.

 

* * *

 

Hermione smiled as the bell tinkled, announcing their arrival. She looked around the familiar cafe for an empty table. 

“How about over there?” Draco pointed to a small empty table nestled in the corner. 

“Perfect,” Hermione smiled, letting Draco led the way. 

They settled down at the table and each picked up a menu. Hermione knew exactly what she would be ordering. Her usual, a hazelnut mocha and a sausage and bacon baguette, if she decided to get food. So rather than perusing the menu in front of her, she peeked over the top of it and watched Draco. He really had changed. He seemed softer, somehow, in his eyes and his general demeanour. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he was definitely different now than she remembered him to be. 

He put his menu down and looked up, and locking eyes with her he smiled, “Take a picture, Granger. It would last longer.” And he chuckled to himself. 

At that, she really began wondering who this stranger really was and what they had done with the Draco she had grown up to know and love. 

“Sorry,” she blushed, suddenly becoming fascinated by the menu before her. 

Draco went to reply, but before he had a chance, a waitress came over to take their orders. 

 

“So,” Draco started after the waitress returned with their drinks. “What are you doing with your life now?” 

“Working in the Ministry.” Hermione replied. “You?”

“What department?” He asked, “And I’m working in International Magical Office of Law.” 

“Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.” Hermione said with a sigh. “I wanted to carry on with my work I started with S.P.E.W., but that doesn’t seem to be what I expected.” 

“Oh,” Draco said with a smirk.

“What?”

“I just…” Draco blushed at the sharpness in Hermione’s tone. “I guess I just always saw you working at Hogwarts.” 

“Really?” Hermione asked, shocked that he would have even thought about her, but it was a good shocked. 

“Yes, really,” Draco said. “I wouldn’t have said it otherwise, now would I?” 

“No.” Hermione shrugged. She picked up her still warm drink and took a long sip of it. “I guess you wouldn’t.” 

“Would you think about it?” Draco pushed. 

“What? Going back to Hogwarts?” 

“Yeah,” Draco nodded. “You’d make a great teacher, I always thought that.” 

Hermione thought about it. She missed Hogwarts, her days there were some of the happiest she had had. But what would she teach? What  could she teach? It was something she could see herself doing. She smiled, “Maybe,” she said aloud, “but not yet.” 

“Why not?” Draco asked, genuinely curious. 

“I’m thirty years old, don’t you think that is a little young?” 

“When you’re the professor, not at all.” Draco grinned. With her brains, he was sure she could have become a Professor on her finishing her N.E.W.T.s. He spent most of the time from his third year onwards wishing, very deep down, that she would tutor him. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone if he could help it. 

Hermione thanked her lucky stars that the waitress chose that moment to return to see if they wanted, or needed, refills. It saved her having to reply to what she thought was possibly a compliment. 

Draco was looking straight at Hermione when the waitress left, clearly waiting for something, Hermione felt herself flush. Her hands flew to her cheeks to hide it. 

“Don’t.” Draco said, he leaned over the table and gently pulled on her arms to move them from hiding her cheeks. “I like it.” 

That made her blush all the more. “So, how are you enjoying your job?” Hermione asked, tactlessly changing the subject away from herself. 

“I like it,” Draco smiled. “It makes all the language lessons mother made me sit through growing up worthwhile.”

Hermione’s jaw dropped open. “I’d have loved to have been taught languages growing up.” 

“It’s not as fun as it sounds.” Draco shook his head. “Well, it wasn’t for me…” he glanced at Hermione. “You’d have probably loved it.” 

“So how many languages do you know?” Hermione asked, curious, and wondering if he’d teach her any of them. 

Draco started listing them, and counting on his fingers. “English, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and Polish.” He held up his hands. “Six.” 

“How many of them do you use then?” She asked, her eyes wide. She had always wanted to learn Italian for some reason that she couldn’t explain.

“Four,” he shrugged. “I could teach you some if you want?” 

“Yes, please.” Hermione beamed, wondering if he was an occlumens now. 

“That sounds like a date.” Draco smiled at Hermione as they both drained the remnants of their drinks and got up to leave. 


End file.
